Oyster receptacle



June '16, 1931. G. A. KEGEL 1,810,080

OYSTER RECEPT'ACLE Filed Aug. 51, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 9 /fi mu mlmm Inventor Attorney June 16, 1931. 5 KEGEL 1,81 0 ,080

OYSTER RECEPTACLE Filed Aug. 31, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 A5 3 n j I w u a; 7

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30 II a l 32 Attorney Patented June 16, 1931 PATENT w s;

GEORGE A. KEGEL, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA OYSTER RECEPTACLE Application filed August 31, 1929. Serial No. 389,753.

This invention relates to receptacles and an object of the invention is to provide for carrying oysters in the half shell or loose oysters in a sanitary receptacle that provides for cooling the oysters While being carried so as to prevent deterioration thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle of the character referred to that may be used forfreezing oysters in the receptacle so as to prevent their deteriora tion. i

Another object of the invention is to provide for carrying off the water from melting ice without contaminating or otherwise coming into contact with the oysters being carried, and furthermore to provide for ventilating the. receptacle.

. Further objects of the invention are to provide, in the manner'as hereinafter set forth, a"

i receptacle of the character referred to, that is strong, compact and durable, very efficient for its intended purpose, thoroughly reliable for its intended use, very simple in its method of assembly, and construction, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is disclosed an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be under stood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the claims hereto appended. In the drawings, wherein like numeral-s designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the receptacle in accordance, with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical detailed sectional view taken substantially on line 22 of Figure 1, and, I

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2, and,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the trays removed from the receptacle. I

Referring to the drawings in detail, 5 indicates generally a hollow cylidrical receptacle having a solid inset bottom wall 6, a circular side wall 7 secured at its lower end to the bottom wall as at 8. A cover 9 is adapted to frictionally overlap the side walls of the receptacle by means of a depending flange 10 formed on its periphery.

At the center of the bottom wall there is provided an opening 11 that communicates with the interior of a hollow frustoconical shaped support member 12 having the base thereof soldered to the inner face of the bottom wall 6 circumjacent the opening 11. pair of angular shaped ribs 13, 14 are disposed on the opposite sides of the opening 11 and extend transversely of thebottom wall 6. The edges of the legs ofthe ribs 13 are sol dered or otherwise secured to the bottom walls and the vertices of the ribs depend be' low the bottom wall to abut the surface upon 'whichthe receptacle rests.

.The ribs 13, 1d prevent the bottom Wall from bulging at the center so as to permit free passage of air through the opening 11.

A tube 15 has the lower end terminating in the hollow cone 12 and the walls thereof are soldered or otherwise secured to the frustum of the cone 12. The upper end of the tube 15 terminates adjacent the upper edges of the receptacle so as to provide a circulation of air through the receptacle. 1

v A central apertured circular plate is disposed about the lower portion of the tube and is soldered to the frustum portion of the cone '12 having the plane faces thereof disposed in a horizontal plane. A pair of oppositely extending horizontally disposed bars 18, 19 have the inner adjacent ends thereof soldered to the circular plate 17 and on the outerends of each bar there are formed depending flanges 20, 21 that are soldered in abutting relation to the inner face of the circular walls of the receptacle. I

The bars 18, 19 are disposed across the diameter of the receptacle and are in'spaced relation to the bottom wall 6 thereof. At points located at right angles to the bars'18, 19 are a pair of supporting lugs 2223, that are disposed in the same horizontal plane as the bars 18, 19 so as to provide a support at right angles to the bars 18, 19 for supporting the bottom tray of the stacked trays to be presently described.

Adjacent the bottom and preferably on a level with the bars 18, 19, the side walls 7 of the receptacle is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced openings 24 for the purpose of permitting excess water to escape from the interior of the receptacle. A pair of bail ears 25, 26 are formed on the side wall of the receptacle to receive the inwardly bent ends of a semi-circular handle 27 whereby the receptacle 5 is carried by hand.

A series of circular trays indicated generally at 28 are stacked one upon'th'e other in vertical position as will be clearly understood by referring to Figure 2. 'Each one of the trays are formed in the same manner and it is believed that a description of one of the trays will suflice for a clear understanding of the construction of all of the trays.

Each of the trays are circular in configw ration having a solid bottom wall 29 and an upstanding flange 30 about its periphery disposed at right angles to the bottom wall. 29.

The diameter of the tray is such as to provide suitable space between the flange 30 and the circular wall 7 of the receptacle, but not enough to cause undue lateral movement thereof. Each of the trays are formed with a central aperture about which is secured the frustum portion of an inverted frusto-conieal shaped hollow support member 81. The edges of the frustum portion of the member 31 are preferably soldered to the bottom wall 29 of the tray.

Adjacent the lower edges of the member 31 there are provided in the walls a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 32 to carry off accumulated water from the trays.

When in stacked relation the bottom tray of the series has the bottom wall resting upon lugs 22, 23 and bars 19 and the bottom wall adjacent the central aperture of the tray rests upon the circular plate 17 providing additional support at the center of the tray to prevent the same from bulging. The tube 15 extends through the inverted frusto-conical shaped member 31 of the bottom tray. The second tray has the bottom wall thereof disposed over the open top of the bottom tray with the peripheral edges resting upon the upper edge of the flange 30 of the bottom tray.

The based. edges of the hollow member 31 on the bottom tray provides a support for the bottom wall circumjacent the central aperture in the second tray to prevent the second tray from bulging at the center. The. tube 15 extends through the hollow interior of the member 31 on the second tray. The other trays are disposed. in a like manner above the second tray until the receptacle is full of trays.

It will be seen from the foregoing that by having the inverted frusto-conical members 31 having the base edges supporting the bottom wall of the superjacent tray there is provided additional support at the center of each tray to prevent the same from bulging and at the same time since all of the frusto-conical members 31 are in vertical alinement with each other there is provided a passagefor draining water through openings 32downwardly into the bottom of the receptacle.

This finds exit from the bottom of the receptacle through openings 2a.

In the application of the present invention, the bottom may be filled with cracked ice and salt to provide for freezing oysters, clams, seafoo'ds being earriedin the tray. Each of the trays may be prepared with a layer of ice and the seafood placed upon the ice. The accumulated water from the superjacent tray will not contaminate food on the sub-jacent tray by reason of the fact that the frustum portion of the member 81 having the opening therein is disposed directly above the wide mouth of thesubj acent member 31.

In this manner each of the members 31 acts as a funnel to conduct the water away from the member 81 directly above it. Since the upper end of the tube 15 terminates below the cover 9, there is ample space provided for ventilating the trays while the cover 9 is disposed over the receptacle.

It is to be understood that by disclosing in detail herein any particular form, structure or arrangement, it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims or the requirements of the prior art.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, a receptacle having a removable cover, and side and bottom walls, said bottom wall having an opening therein, a hollow upstanding supporting member secured to the inner face of the bottom wall about the opening, a tube secured within the hollow support member at its lower end and terminating at its upper end adjacent the upper edges of the side wallof the receptacle, a plurality of trays having central apertures dis-posed about the tube and stacked one on top of the other, means on the side walls of the receptacle in spaced relation thereto, each of said trays having upstanding hollow aline'd spacing members secured about the central aperture and circumposed about the tubes for providing. support at the centers of the stacked trays, said spacing members having openings therein to carry off water fiom' the superjacent tray, and a plurality of openings in the side wall of the receptacle below the lower-most tray to permit the water to escape from the receptacle, said bottom wall inset and having a pair of spacing ribs on the under side vof the bottom wall adjacent the opening for restingupon the supporting surface to prevent the bottom Wall from bulging under Weight.

2. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle, having the bottom thereof inset and centrally apertured, a pair of V-' shaped hollow ribs disposed on the underside of the inset bottom and on opposite sides of they aperture and extending from the bottom into the same plane as the lower edges of the side walls of the receptacle, a hollow frusto-conical member rising from the upper side of the said bottom, and circumj acent the aperture, a horizontally disposed disk secured on the upper end thereof, and a vertical hollow tube mounted through a conforming aperture in said disk and the open frustrum portion of said hollow conical member and secured to them both, and depending below the upper edge of the conical member and rising to a point just below the upper edge of the receptacle, and apair of diametrically opposed horizontal bars connected upon the outer edge portion of the said disk and to the wall of the receptacle, and a pair of diametrically opposite lugs on the'wall of the receptacle at 90 from said bars, said bars and said lugs forming a support struc ture, a centrally apertured tray for accommodating the hollow tube and for resting upon said support structure, and a plurality ofcentrally apertured trays for resting upon the upper edge of the first named tray.

8. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle, having the bottom thereof inset and centrally apertured, a pair of V-shapedhollow ribs disposed on the underside of the inset bottom and on opposite sides of the aperture and extending from the bottom into the same plane as the lower edges of the side walls of the receptacle, a

hollow frusto-conical member rising from the upper side of the said bottom, and cirsaid trays so disposed that each funnelshaped wall acts as adrain basin for the water drained from the superjacent tray.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. GEORGE A. KEGEL.

cumjacent the aperture, a horizontally dis posed disk secured on the upper end thereof, and a vertical hollow tube mounted through a conforming aperture in said disk and the open frustrum portion of said hollow conical member and secured to them both, and de- 7 pending below the upper edge of the conical member and rising to a point, just below the upper edge of the receptacle, and a pair of diametrically opposed horizontal bars connected upon the outer edge portion of the said disk and tothe wall of the receptacle,

and a pair of diametrically opposite lugs on the wall of the receptacle at 90 from said bars, said bars and said lugs forming a support structure, a centrally apertured tray for accommodating the hollow tube and for resting upon said support structure, a plu-- rality of centrally apertured trays for resting upon the upper edge of the first named tray, said trays being formed with a funnelshaped wall circumjacent the central apertures thereof which is perforated next to the lli 

